Joss Whedon's Avengers sequel has officially found its Ultron

Share This Post

We might still be a couple of years away from seeing that Avengers sequel, but Marvel has just dropped a bombshell: Meet the man who will be playing Ultron.

The company has signed James Spader (Stargate, Boston Legal) to play the evil artificial intelligence in the sequel, which is set to open May 1, 2015. This announcement shoots down recent speculation that J.A.R.V.I.S. voice actor Paul Bettany might play the baddie.

Though sci-fi fans probably know Spader best from his role as Daniel Jackson in the 1994 cult hit Stargate, the guy has been racking up Emmy awards in recent years via acclaimed roles in Boston Legal and The Practice. He also co-starred in Steven Spielberg’s recent Lincoln biopic, adding to an already solid resume.

We still don’t know exactly how Ultron will be introduced in the film, but here’s our best guess: Director Joss Whedon has already said the character won’t be created by Hank Pym (Ant-Man), as he is in the comics, and many fans think Tony Stark will likely be Ultron’s unwitting creator. Whedon has already said he will organically fit the story into the Marvel Cinematic Universe — and Stark seems like the obvious place to start.

Do you think Spader has the badass chops to go toe to toe with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?